States' rights

States' rights refers to the reservation of political powers for state governments instead of a central government. The term was coined in the United States in response to the debate over slavery legislation, as many Democratic Party politicians in the American South argued that it was unconstitutional for the government to enforce the outlawing of slavery in the south. This issue caused the American Civil War, which ended with the US government passing an amendment that enforced the outlawing of slavery. Anti-government activists and segregationists would continue using the term for the rest of the 19th and the 20th centuries, arguing against desegregation and nationwide laws. During the election of 1980, Republican Party presidential nominee Ronald Reagan won over the American South by promising to uphold "states' rights", ending the Democrats' "Solid South" and winning the support of segregationists and conservatives. Since then, states' rights has been a major issue that the Republican Party supports, as Republicans protested against the nationwide legalization of gay marriage in 2013.